As medical costs and waiting times continue to rise, more and more Hong Kong citizens choose to seek medical services in the mainland, forming a trend of "going north to seek medical treatment". This cross-border medical phenomenon has not only brought significant cost savings to patients, but also brought substantial changes in improving the quality of life. However, behind this trend is not only the frustration of the increasing pressure on Hong Kong's medical system, but also the huge temptation brought by the price gap between drugs and medical services in the two places.

Long waiting time and high treatment costs drive Hong Kong people to go north

Ms. Luo is a Hong Kong patient who has suffered from psoriasis for many years. She has tried various treatments, even Chinese medicine conditioning, but the effect has always been unstable and the condition has recurred. In Hong Kong's public medical system, the waiting time for dermatology is often as long as two years. Although private hospitals can provide biological agent treatment, the price is expensive, ranging from 7,500 to 10,000 Hong Kong dollars per injection, and long-term regular injections are required. This makes many patients feel financial pressure during the treatment process.

In the middle of this year, Ms. Luo learned that the Shenzhen Hong Kong University Hospital provides the same biological agent treatment, the price is about RMB 3,000, which is equivalent to one-third of the cost in Hong Kong. She immediately made an appointment to go to Shenzhen for treatment, and the treatment effect improved significantly, which made her feel relieved. Now, Miss Luo goes north to Shenzhen for injection once every two weeks. "It is very convenient to go by high-speed rail, and the process is fast. It usually takes half an hour to complete." For Miss Luo, "going north to seek medical treatment" not only saves her money, but also significantly improves her quality of life.

High-priced anti-cancer drugs: economic incentives for price differences of several times

In the treatment of cancer, the price gap between drugs in Hong Kong and the mainland is particularly obvious. Sister Ying, 70, was diagnosed with advanced lung adenocarcinoma in 2022. Initially, she could use the first-generation targeted drugs in public hospitals, but a year later, she developed drug resistance and was forced to switch to third-generation targeted drugs. However, these drugs are not on the medical insurance drug list in Hong Kong and need to be purchased at her own expense. The high cost of about 350,000 Hong Kong dollars every 9 months, an average of 38,000 Hong Kong dollars per month, has brought huge financial pressure to the family.

Sister Ying's daughter learned through the mutual aid network that the same drug can be purchased in Shenzhen at a price of about RMB 5,000 per month, which is about one-eighth of the cost in Hong Kong. This economic gap made Sister Ying feel relieved. Although she had some concerns about the quality of the drugs at first, she was relieved when she got confirmation from the doctor and pharmacist during the follow-up visit in Hong Kong that the drugs she bought were from the same original manufacturer as those in Hong Kong. Sister Ying said with emotion: "To get treatment in Hong Kong, you have to have money to survive. I hope that Hong Kong can also reduce drug prices in the future."

Reasons for the shortage of medical resources in Hong Kong and the gap in drug prices

Professor Ruan Bowen of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University pointed out that the difference in drug prices between Hong Kong and the mainland is mainly due to the different medical systems and market sizes of the two places. Hong Kong is a high-income region, and the bargaining power of the Hospital Authority is relatively weak, while the population of mainland China is large, and the medical insurance system has strong bargaining power in centralized procurement. The mainland medical insurance system has included many expensive drugs in the medical insurance catalog. In the face of huge market demand, the prices of pharmaceutical companies are naturally suppressed. In contrast, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority has a small coverage area and insufficient purchasing bargaining power, resulting in high drug prices.

Ruan Bowen added that in recent years, the Hong Kong government has also been promoting cross-border medical integration, including expanding the scope of use of elderly medical vouchers and realizing cross-border sharing of electronic health records, with the aim of alleviating the supply and demand pressure of medical services for Hong Kong people. However, faced with the huge price gap of drugs and the shortage of local medical resources in Hong Kong, more and more Hong Kong people choose to go north to seek lower-cost medical services, which has become a trend that cannot be ignored.

Cross-border medical needs: from drugs to comprehensive medical services

In addition to high-priced drugs, many Hong Kong citizens also choose to receive other medical services such as dentistry, physical examinations, and surgery in the mainland. For example, Hong Kong citizen Fio chose to receive orthodontic treatment in Shenzhen. She learned about the chain dental clinics in Shenzhen through the Xiaohongshu platform and made payments on the Meituan platform. The price was transparent and the process was convenient. The cost of her entire orthodontic treatment was about HK$15,000, while the price of similar treatments in Hong Kong was significantly higher.

On social platforms such as Xiaohongshu, discussions about "going north to seek medical treatment" and "seeing a doctor in Shenzhen" are also increasing, and Hong Kong patients have shared their medical experiences in Shenzhen. From drug purchases, cancer treatment to routine examinations, many people said that Shenzhen's medical level is reliable, the treatment effect is significant, and the overall experience is convenient. At the same time, some mainland residents also left messages on social media, worrying that the influx of Hong Kong people into the mainland would occupy resources. Shenzhen's medical companion industry has also developed along with this trend. Medical companions provide medical consultations and accompanying examinations for Hong Kong patients seeking medical treatment in the north to meet cross-border medical needs.

Potential medical disputes and security issues

Although seeking medical treatment in the north has obvious advantages in convenience and economy, this choice also brings some potential risks. Hong Kong's medical service complaint mechanism is relatively complete. In the event of a medical accident, patients can complain to the Hong Kong Medical Council and hold them accountable. However, if Hong Kong citizens seeking medical treatment in the mainland encounter medical disputes, they may face a situation of "no help". The Shenzhen Health Commission provides some complaint consultation channels, but there is still a gap compared with Hong Kong's standards, which poses a hidden worry to some patients.

Hong Kong family doctor Lin Yonghe pointed out that cross-border medical demand is gradually increasing. He said that before the epidemic, many Hong Kong people had gone to other countries for low-cost treatment, and now the Greater Bay Area has become the first choice for more Hong Kong people. "I hope that these cross-border inspection reports, drugs and laboratory tests will meet certain standards." Dr. Lin believes that at present, Hong Kong doctors' adaptability to simplified Chinese reports has gradually improved, but there are still patients who will choose to re-examine in Hong Kong to ensure safety.

Future cross-border medical trends

Ruan Bowen analyzed that the demand for cross-border medical care is not only between Hong Kong and the mainland, but has in fact become a phenomenon in the global medical system. Many countries are actively developing the medical tourism industry to attract foreign patients. On the mainland, the number of people going to Hong Kong for medical treatment has decreased in recent years, while the number of Hong Kong people who choose to go north for medical treatment has increased significantly. In 2023, 700,000 people received medical services in Shenzhen. Ruan Bowen believes that the actual demand may be greater, and this number will increase further as cross-border medical policies are gradually improved.

In the context of Hong Kong's medical service resources being in short supply and expensive, cross-border medical care is undoubtedly an ideal choice for many patients. This trend not only reflects the necessity of improving Hong Kong's medical system, but also foreshadows more cross-border medical cooperation and demand in the future. If Hong Kong's medical resources cannot be optimized in a timely manner, more and more Hong Kong citizens will "go north for medical treatment" in the future, and cross-border medical services may become a normalized supplement to medical services in the two places.